Chapter 8: Realizing the Mistake

Jiang Yu stared at the documents, her heart in turmoil. She had signed this contract when she was just eighteen, thinking only of saving her mother’s life and repaying her father’s debts—she hadn’t even considered reading it carefully.

“Mr. Fu, this…” she began, lifting her head to explain, but Fu Boyun cut her off.

“You signed the contract. Can’t you remember these clauses?” His voice remained cold and hard, tinged with barely restrained anger.

Jiang Yu froze, then managed a dry smile. “Mr. Fu, I’ll go back and review it right away.”

“Wait. How did you escape last night?” he demanded.

Jiang Yu was caught off guard, lowering her head. “I… I didn’t use any tricks.”

Fu Boyun gave a light, mocking laugh. “Jiang Yu, you can’t fool me.”

Her heart sank sharply, her mind racing. That fool Yu Zhi Yuan had betrayed her, and she had been forced to find another way to protect herself. But these things—Fu Boyun already knew.

With no other choice, she told him the whole truth.

“You’re quite clever, knowing self-preservation is key,” he said with a low laugh, his tone seemingly relaxed, but Jiang Yu could hear the suppressed fury beneath.

“Mr. Fu…” she ventured quietly, her eyes betraying helplessness and a hint of supplication.

Fu Boyun stood up lazily and tossed another file in front of her. “This is the consequence of you using company artists to lower film fees without authorization. You’ll bear all the losses.”

Jiang Yu opened the file. When she saw the amount, she nearly fainted. Biting her lip, she tried to steady herself, but couldn’t stop trembling. “Mr. Fu, I don’t have that much money.”

Fu Boyun shot her a cold glance, his tone devoid of any warmth. “Then pay it back slowly.”

Humiliation and helplessness flooded Jiang Yu’s heart.

“Understood,” she replied.

Clutching the file, she tiptoed out of the office, feeling as though a stone was crushing her chest, making it impossible to breathe.

Back in her own office, she tossed the file onto her desk and collapsed weakly onto the sofa. This Fu Boyun was digging up old grievances because the contract was about to expire. Tens of millions—how could she possibly pay it off?

Just then, Lin Zhiwei pushed the door open. The tall, striking model—standing at nearly six feet—was one of the few friends Jiang Yu could confide in. Their bond had formed from shared experiences. In hindsight, Lin Zhiwei was much luckier than she was; at least her employer was a normal person.

“What’s wrong? You look so dejected.”

Lin Zhiwei lit a cigarette and sat across from her on the sofa.

Jiang Yu sighed and recounted the seventy million compensation she owed, detail by detail.

“So you’ve worked for two years, and still ended up deep in debt?” Lin Zhiwei raised her brows, somewhat incredulous.

Jiang Yu forced a bitter smile. “All my wages went into plugging holes at home. Now it seems I can’t even escape.”

Lin Zhiwei was silent for a moment, blowing out a smoke ring, her tone complicated. “Jiang Yu, getting involved with Fu Boyun is like selling yourself to fate. If he won’t let go, you can’t get away.”

Jiang Yu looked up, seeing the complex expression in her friend’s eyes, and suddenly understood.

Fu Boyun’s control was far more terrifying than she’d imagined.

Fine, fine, now she was truly stuck.

Not to mention she was already under a soft ban, with no hope of breaking out.

“Ah! My dream of becoming a film queen is shattered!” Jiang Yu cried out in agony.

Lin Zhiwei could only smile helplessly.